


The Messenger

by 50251sid



Category: The Borgias, The Borgias (2011)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Miscarriage, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-20
Updated: 2014-09-20
Packaged: 2018-02-18 01:35:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2330396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/50251sid/pseuds/50251sid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cesare and Lucrezia receive a message from an unexpected source</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Messenger

Wearing a hospital gown, Lucrezia Borgia lies in her bed in the emergency room cubicle, tears running down her cheeks. She hears Cesare’s voice, barking her name, and can picture him, striding down the hallway with a nurse running after him trying to shush him.

He yanks open the curtain surrounding her cubicle.

His face is drained of color and his eyes appear enormous.

“Sis! What’s happened?”

He rushes to her side and embraces her, pressing his scruffy, lightly-bearded cheek to her blonde hair.

“Mom called and told me you were in the hospital.”

He sees her tears.

“Honey! What the hell is it?”

She presses her face against his chest.

“Oh, Cesare! I’m…I’m…I’m having a miscarriage.”

_“What?”_

She starts to sob.

“I’m losing my baby.”

He rocks her in his arms.

“You didn’t tell me you were pregnant.”

“I was afraid to.”

“Afraid? Why? It’s mine, isn’t it? Of course it’s mine.”

She nods.

“How far along?”

“About ten weeks.”

“How the Jesus Christ could I not have known? What did I do to you to make you afraid to tell me?”

“You feel guilty about…us. I was afraid that if you knew I had gotten pregnant, you’d be mad and break it off with me.”

“My poor love! You believed I would abandon you when you needed me most.”

He kisses her hair and her forehead and holds her tighter to him. She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Lucrezia, can anything be done to stop this?”

“No. It’s mostly over already. The doctor wants to go in and clear away anything that remains inside.”

“You didn’t…do anything, did you? To bring this on?”

She begins to cry again.

“I think I did. I got so upset and scared that I think I killed it. With my negativity and bad thoughts.”

“Oh, Honey! No you didn’t. You couldn’t hurt it with your thoughts. I was afraid you maybe tried to have an abortion.”

“I thought about it. I was relieved deep down when the doctor said I was miscarrying. Please don’t leave me. I’ll be more careful. It won’t happen again.”

“Honey. I’ll never leave you. I’m involved in this too. I have to tell you, I feel sad that you lost the baby.”

She lifts her head.

“Do you? You would have wanted it if you had known?”

"Sure, I’d have wanted it. Our baby. Part you and part me.”

“But what about our parents? The rest of the family? Our friends?”

“We would have dealt with it. Somehow. We’d have taken care of our kid.”

She raises a trembling hand to caress his face.

“I love you, Cesare. You’re so strong.”

“We’re strong for each other. What do Mom and Dad think is the matter with you?”

“Some ‘woman thing.’ That’s all Dad wanted to hear. Mom thinks it has to do with hormonal problems.”

"The doctors didn’t tell them?”

“I’m nineteen. Old enough to demand that my privacy be honored.”

“Lucrezia…are you old enough to declare your independence?”

“Independence? From what?”

“Our parents. Move in with me. Let’s live the way we want.”

“Cesare, how…?”

“We can make it work. Remember when we went to see _‘La Cage Aux Folles’_ and Albin sang that song you liked? There’s the line that goes _‘Life's not worth a damn, 'Till you can say, Hey World, I am what I am.’_ You jumped up and yelled ‘Brava’. Well, I think it’s time we took some wisdom from that song. When Mom called me and told me you were in the hospital, I freaked. I can’t just be on the sideline of your life anymore. The last to know anything. I need to be your husband. Honey, I’m so over the guilt and the uncertainty I used to feel. We belong together. Let’s be together. If it weren’t for a cruel quirk of fate, we’d be having a baby now. We’d have had to go public. So let’s do it anyway. For us.”

“But, Cesare…I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

“Are you scared? Of Dad, maybe?”

“I think I am.”

“He’s a pretty formidable figure, I grant you. But together we can stand up to him. Together we can face anything.”

He tilts his head and gazes straight into her eyes.

“Can you do that, Honey? For me? For us?”

“If you will be with me, then yes. I can face him.”

He grasps her hand and kisses it.

“Was it…a…boy or a girl?” His voice is soft, hesitant.

“They couldn’t tell. They did say that a miscarriage at this stage is nearly always because something is wrong with the pregnancy, but I shouldn’t be worried about future ones.”

She begins to tear up.

“Do you want to try again?" he asks her gently.

“Not now. Not just yet. I’d like to finish school and try for a career first.”

“If that’s what you want. But whatever you want to do, do it with me. Living with me.”

“We will need to talk with Mom and Dad.”

“I know. But not here. Not now, with you lying in a hospital bed. When you’re released, I’ll take you to my place and we can talk there. On our turf. You said the doctors want to do something to you.”

“They want to look inside me and make sure that nothing remains that shouldn’t be there.”

“When will they do that?”

“Soon. Within the hour.”

“I’ll be here when you come back.”

“It’s kind of strange. It took a loss to bring about a gain.  I think this baby was sent to us to bring us an important message. And it succeeded.”

Cesare kisses Lucrezia’s belly.

“Thanks, Little One. We will never forget you. Return to heaven now and come back to us when we are ready to welcome you properly.”

“You really do love me, don’t you, Cesare?”

He raises his head from her belly and gazes into her eyes.

“Forever and ever.”


End file.
